Method and apparatus for vending a combination of products

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering a plurality of products from a vending machine is disclosed. The method generally allows an offer for a package to be output, in which the package defines a plurality of products, including a selected product. An apparatus is also disclosed to carry out the method steps of the present invention.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 defining, by a vending machine, a plurality of packages, each package of the plurality of packages comprising two or more products from a population of products sold via the vending machine, wherein the defining comprises: 
 identifying a record in a database that contains information defining a package rule; 
 determining, based on the package rule and the population of products offered for sale via the vending machine, a plurality of possible combinations of products, each possible combination of products defining a possible package; 
 retrieving inventory data for each of the products from the population of products offered for sale via the vending machine; 
 determining, based on the inventory data that at least one possible package is available; 
 defining package data for each of the at least one possible packages that are available; 
 storing the package data for each of the at least one possible packages that are available in the database; and 
 setting a status of each of the at least one possible packages that are available to an active status, wherein the plurality of packages comprises any of the at least one possible packages that have an active status; and 
 outputting, by the vending machine and to a customer of the vending machine, an offer to purchase one of the plurality of packages for a package price. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the customer, a request to purchase the one of the plurality of packages; 
 receiving an indication of a payment of the package price by the customer; and 
 
       dispensing the one of the plurality of packages of the two or more products. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing comprises:
 dispensing a first one of the two or more products from the vending machine; and 
 dispensing a second one of the two or more products from another vending machine. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the package data comprises one or more of: (i) a package identifier; (ii) the package price; and (iii) a component identifier that identifies one of the two or more products. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining of the plurality of packages further comprises:
 calculating, for each of the possible packages, a price; and 
 determining if the prices are compliant with the package rule. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the status of an available package is only set to the active status if the price for the package is determined to be compliant with the package rule. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining of the plurality of packages further comprises:
 determining if any of the possible packages are duplicates. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the status of an available package is only set to the active status if the possible package is determined not to be a duplicate. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining of the plurality of packages is triggered automatically by a change in inventory of at least one of the population of products sold via the vending machine. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the defining of the plurality of packages is triggered automatically upon an elapse of a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of: 
 defining, by a vending machine, a plurality of packages, each package of the plurality of packages comprising two or more products from a population of products sold via the vending machine, wherein the defining comprises: 
 identifying a record in a database that contains information defining a package rule; 
 determining, based on the package rule and the population of products offered for sale via the vending machine, a plurality of possible combinations of products, each possible combination of products defining a possible package; 
 retrieving inventory data for each of the products from the population of products offered for sale via the vending machine; 
 determining, based on the inventory data that at least one possible package is available; 
 defining package data for each of the at least one possible packages that are available; 
 storing the package data for each of the at least one possible packages that are available in the database; and 
 setting a status of each of the at least one possible packages that are available to an active status, wherein the plurality of packages comprises any of the at least one possible packages that have an active status; and 
 outputting, by the vending machine and to a customer of the vending machine, an offer to purchase one of the plurality of packages for a package price. 
 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor causes the processor to perform the steps of:
 defining, by a vending machine, a plurality of packages, each package of the plurality of packages comprising two or more products from a population of products sold via the vending machine, wherein the defining comprises: 
 identifying a record in a database that contains information defining a package rule; 
 determining, based on the package rule and the population of products offered for sale via the vending machine, a plurality of possible combinations of products, each possible combination of products defining a possible package; 
 retrieving inventory data for each of the products from the population of products offered for sale via the vending machine; 
 determining, based on the inventory data that at least one possible package is available; 
 defining package data for each of the at least one possible packages that are available; 
 storing the package data for each of the at least one possible packages that are available in the database; and 
 setting a status of each of the at least one possible packages that are available to an active status, wherein the plurality of packages comprises any of the at least one possible packages that have an active status; and 
 outputting, by the vending machine and to a customer of the vending machine, an offer to purchase one of the plurality of packages for a package price.